JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Rob from the duuuuuuuuuuuu
I watched running backs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten's highlights from last year and I am ecstatic about our running game's potential. We seem to potentially have a real thunder and lightning combo. Rodriguez is an absolute beast. Do you think he solves some of our third-and fourth-and-short issues? Tuten will continue to get stronger and better, and we might end up not skipping a beat. ETN was special as a receiver. Time will tell if that will be missed ...
The Jaguars believe the running game will be as good or better moving forward, and they're confident Rodriguez will be a reason. They also expect Tuten, LeQuint Allen Jr. and perhaps DeeJay Dallas to contribute – and perhaps Ja'Quinden Jackson. This is all to say that the Jaguars' 2026 running backs likely will work by committee – and don't rule out the team selecting a back in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whatever the approach, Rodriguez's style absolutely could be an asset in short-yardage situations. An element to remember, too: What Rodriguez could bring on early downs. Former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was an explosive back who turned in a lot of memorable long runs. Rodriguez likely won't match Etienne there. But there is a belief that he can put the Jaguars in positive down-and-distance situations more consistently by getting four and five yards on first-and-10 situations. That could be a hidden element that was missing at times this past season and that really could help the offense.
Charles from Riverside
Hello, John. I have been seeing more references to "draft capital" lately. Still a little light on that subject. The Jags currently hold 11 total picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. While they do not have a first-round selection and only one pick in Round 2, they supposedly possess significant "capital" –including four selections within the top 100 picks after the first two rounds, and a strong collection of picks in the later rounds. So, do those later picks really offset the lack of early round picks? Do you think the plan is to use the "capital" to move up during the draft? Use it for a trade? Your thoughts?
Four Top 100 selections perhaps don't quiiite "offset" not having a first-round selection. It probably would cost all four of those selections to move up from their current position at No. 56 overall to the No. 24 position they would have held had they not dealt their 2027 first-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in the trade for cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter last offseason. The Jaguars' 11 draft selections certainly represent significant capital, though. I expect their plan is to enter the draft with flexibility. If a player or players they covet fall to a certain position, General Manager James Gladstone's history suggests he will aggressively pursue a trade. If not, he will use the selections to select the best player possible.
Jimsure from DBS
We obviously don't know what happens after this season, but what will we have in dead money for next offseason? Thank you, oh mighty O.
The Jaguars currently have no dead money projected for 2027, according to Spotrac. That can change based on contracts, restructuring and future roster moves.
Kaydie from Riverside, Jacksonville
DaVon Hamilton is indeed the Jaguars' nose tackle and a good one at that. Are you of the belief that a Day 3 draft selection of a developmental and therefore backup nose tackle would be a mistake for the Jaguars?
That would be fine.
Bradley from Death Valley, CA
My ranking (generally) on who wants to win more in the NFL would be 1, coaching staff; 2, front office; 3, fans, 4; players; 5, ownership. What does your vast experience tell you on a general basis?
I generally think there is little difference in how much the coaching staff, front office, players and ownership want to win. I think players want very much to win, though there's often a difference in how much players – particularly young players – understand how difficult it is to win in the NFL. I think fans very much want to win, though I don't remotely know how to compare their desire to win with that of the people whose livelihoods depend on it. It's a different thing.
Josh from Atlanta, GA
The world where a fourth receiver gets $10 million is absolutely insane. Will the term "reset the market" continue to be used for seemingly every position, every single year, ad infinitum? I understand economics, supply and demand, and inflation. Is there any time period when it subsides? Are we genuinely in a decade that could end at $100 million AAV for a quarterback? How does the salary cap keep up? (I think I said the same thing when it hit $30, $40 and $50 million, but still).
The market will continue to rise as long as the salary-cap rises – and as long as the NFL dominates the collective sports consciousness as it has for the last three decades and more, I expect the cap will continue to rise. What that means for average salaries moving forward remains to be seen, but they're unlikely to shrink. I'm old enough to remember when single-digit millions were considered insane average salary. I expect we will find insanity at increasingly insane levels ad infinitum.
Don from Marshall NC
James Gladstone has 11 draft picks. It doesn't matter what order they are. He's going to find some nuggets and do some damage. He's the Wiz Kid! Go Jaguars!
When it comes to Gladstone in the NFL Draft, Don is back – finally – and he remains "all in."
Jesse from Texas
Why does it seem like pass-rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter on the Houston Texans create so much more pressure and sacks than Jaguars defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker? Is it the players around them? The scheme? Or are they maybe just better players?
Anderson and Hunter create pressure and sacks consistently because they might be the NFL's best pass-rushing edge tandem. The players around them don't hurt because edge rushers are always helped by pressure around them. Are they better than Hines-Allen and Walker? They had better seasons last season, so last season they were better.
Rob from St. Augustine, FL
When is the next "2026 position" article coming? Does signing bonus count against the cap? What keeps teams from paying all their plays through "bonuses?"
Soon. Yes. The fact that NFL rules require a player be paid at least their minimum base salary – as determined by their years of experience – on a game-by-game basis over the course of the season. That part cannot be paid out in a bonus.
G Dawg from Waycross, GA
John, do you know if Gladstone will attempt to restructure the senior writer's contract to clear up some more cap space? Gary from St. Augustine told me about this rumor while we were at The Jug one afternoon where I met a girl named Linda Lou, needless to say I almost lost my life that day staring down a 44. That's a whole different story, though. Anyways, back to the restructure rumor, have you heard anything on this front?
What's a "contract?"
Al from Orange Park, FL
Slight silver lining in our loss of good player cloud … all went to NFC teams, so we'll probably only see them once every three years ...
The Jaguars "lost" four unrestricted free agents last week: Etienne (New Orleans Saints), linebacker Devin Lloyd (Carolina Panthers), safety Andrew Wingard (Arizona Cardinals) and cornerback Greg Newsome II (New York Giants). So, yes … all NFC teams. Silver lining? Sure, why not?
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
I've had no problem with his declining to delve in head first in free agency. But after hearing Gladstone shut down that he was ever really "in" on pursuing Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, and give the same sentiment on there being any credibility to moving wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. specifically because he was not looking to "disrupt the offense"... two things that I had apparently let what I read on X weigh enough on my thought process that I voiced concerns about it here in this forum ... I feel silly for that. And not that I'm some beacon of NFL understanding, but Jaguars fans can relax. It has been hard-earned over the last however many years, but we're actually at a point where there's nothing to fret over at head coach and general manager. That's a difficult feat to pull off under typical circumstances. The fact that Owner Shad Khan and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli rounded up and installed those two positions, with the caliber they are respectively at them, and under the time constraints they were under, is nothing short of incredible.
The Jaguars appear to be in very good hands with their football decision-makers – as good of hands as they have had making decisions in a long time.
